Everyone knows that the Baby Blues are common. After birth,
mothers are sleep deprived, the are nursing all hours of the day and night,
they are exhausted from the work of labor and delivery, the body is starting to
produce milk. There are a lot of things that happen in the first few weeks
after birth that can leave a mother feeling tired and overwhelmed. This is
pretty “normal”, or well, common enough that we can just call it normal. Some
women have a smooth, graceful transition with effortless breastfeeding, labors
that hardly seem like work at all, get sleep when their baby sleeps, and the
baby seems to be on a fantastic schedule from day one, and…well, the majority
of us are jealous!
For others, the transition into motherhood is a rocky one.
These moms usually have higher maintenance babies that have no discernible
pattern, they are left exhausted, frustrated and overwhelmed. They don’t wake up
in the morning and think “Oh jeez, I have to take a shower again today”, their
thoughts are focused more on the minutiae, where the task of taking a shower
becomes “Oh no, I have to get up out of bed, use the bathroom, take my jammies
off, heat up the water in the shower, get in, get ALL of me wet, find the
shampoo bottle, struggle with the cap, pour enough in my hand, scrub my hair,
then sit there forever rinsing it out, THEN I have to find the conditioner….” What, to most of us, is a simple “one-step”
activity – taking a shower – becomes a monumental list of activities that all
must be performed.
For women with depression, the minutiae of the day wear them
down and they think “Didn’t I just do this??? Didn’t I just take a shower yesterday? Didn’t I go to the bathroom already? I have to wake up again?” It’s more than just being too
busy or tired with a new baby that keeps them from taking a shower. It’s that a
shower has become too great of a task. Even the thought of a shower has too
many components and the mother’s mind wants to shut down at the thought of so
much work.
This is a sign of postpartum depression and and a sign that she needs help.
Professional help. There’s no shame in
that. Our hormones can wreak havoc on our bodies and through off the
neurotransmitters in our mind.
Most of us are familiar with the signs and symptoms of
depression, but sometimes these take on a more unique presentation. There can
be a perseveration of an idea. One that she just cannot escape from. For me, I
experienced this with my second child; however I did not recognize it for what
it was. I was paranoid. I thought that if I brought my baby to the doctor he
would inject her with something that would kill her. As I was driving down the
highway, I experienced tremendous fear and anxiety that someone driving by
would take out a gun and shoot her as they passed by. People in public were
suspect as well. They may stab her as they walk by. I was fiercely protective
of her and preoccupied with concerns, regardless of how irrational, that anyone
could harm my baby. We did not put a birth announcement in the paper – a common
practice 20 years ago – because I was convinced that it would alert baby
snatchers who would then break into my house and steal her from me.
Depression can be more than just exaggerated baby blues. It
can manifest in ways you do not expect. If you, or your partner, have any
concerns about your thoughts and feelings, talk to your health care provider as
soon as possible. Do not try to treat postpartum depression on your own.
Respect your body by allowing a neutral third party to give a fair, unbiased
assessment of what is going on.
Read more about Postpartum Depression by visiting
Even if your symptoms do not fit into the typical depression
symptoms, talk to your provider. Here at our birthing center, women with mild
PPD can be treated holistically with homeopathics, herbs, supplements, and a
variety of other modalities; however they are monitored much more closely to
ensure that the treatments are working and that they are not a risk to
themselves or others. Not all depression needs to be treated with medications
that can affect breastfeeding. Medications are essential in some cases, but not
all. Remember, you can call your provider 24 hours a day 7 days a week. Offices
have on-call staff for their off hours, and you should NEVER hesitate to call
if you feel that you may harm yourself or your baby.
Try these resources to learn more about PPD or to find a
counselor/group. You can also call your insurance company to ask for referrals.
http://www.helppro.com/HP/therapist-finder/therapy-specialty/TX/Austin/67/Postpartum_Depression.aspx
To learn more about giving your baby a beautiful beginning, visit www.beautifulbeginningbirth.com
